TWI564231B - Air Float Handling Device and Air Floating Handling Method - Google Patents

Description

Air-floating handling device and air-floating handling method

The present invention relates to an air-floating transport technique in which a transport object is floated and transported in a non-contact manner.

In the manufacturing line or the like, there is a known floating transport device that transports a transport object from a transport surface such as a transport rail and transports it in a non-contact manner. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an air-floating transport device that simultaneously discharges and sucks gas from a transport surface of a transport rail, thereby stabilizing the transport target from the transport surface of the transport rail. Handling.

[Previous Technical Literature] [Patent Document]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2008-7319

However, in the air-floating transport apparatus described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to construct a ventilation path for the two systems for gas discharge and gas suction in the transport rail. Furthermore, it is necessary to have a pump corresponding to both gas ejection and gas suction. Therefore, the device configuration is complicated and the cost is increased.

In addition, when the transport distance of the transport target is to be extended in the air-floating transport apparatus, it is generally adopted to add the transport rail along the transport direction of the transport target. In the air-floating transport device described in Patent Document 1, Since the two transport rails are arranged in parallel along the transport direction, the adjacent transport rails are not in close contact with each other in the transport direction (ie, the joint of the transport rails). A discontinuity in the conveying surface, that is, a gap, is formed. Further, depending on the use of the air-floating transport device, a gap may be provided between adjacent transport rails in the transport direction for, for example, a laser scribe unit or the like.

In the gap between the conveyance rails, it is difficult to spray the gas to the conveyance target, so that the gas film pressure is hard to occur. When the object to be transported during transportation is moved from one of the two adjacent transport rails that are arranged along the transport direction to the other by the gap between the transport rails, when the end of the transport target is located in the gap The deflection may occur due to its own weight, and the end of the object to be transported may come into contact with the end of the other carrying rail. In particular, a large-sized glass substrate used for a flat panel display such as a liquid crystal display or a plasma panel display (PDP) is very thin and easily deflected, so that the end portion of the glass substrate passes through the transport track during transportation. When there is a gap between them, it is likely to come into contact with the end of the subsequent transport rail.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an air-floating transport technique in which a transport rail having a mechanism for ejecting a gas from a transport surface is arranged side by side in a plurality of air transport lines arranged in the transport direction. It is possible to prevent the object to be transported from colliding with the transport rail, thereby stably transporting the transport object in a non-contact manner and at low cost.

In order to solve the above problems, the air-floating conveying device of the present invention is provided When the end of one of the conveyance directions of the conveyance surface passes through one end of the conveyance surface of the conveyance surface, the conveyance rail of the conveyance surface of the conveyance surface which is a gas discharge port which discharges the gas to be conveyed is the conveyance direction of the conveyance target. At least one vortex flow generating means is provided at the position of the conveying surface corresponding to the other end portion, which ejects a gas to generate a swirling flow, thereby generating a negative pressure.

For example, the present invention relates to an air-floating transport device that transports a plurality of transport rails in which a transport target is arranged with a gap in a transport direction and that is transported in a non-contact manner in a transport direction, and is characterized in that: The plurality of transport rails include a first transport rail and a second transport rail that is located at a partition wall downstream of the first transport rail in the transport direction, and a second transport rail in the transport direction. The third transport rail for the downstream side of the partition, the second transport rail includes a plurality of vortex flow generating means, and is disposed on the transport surface of the second transport rail to eject a gas to generate a swirl flow. The negative pressure is generated, and the plurality of gas discharge ports are formed on the conveying surface of the second conveying rail, and the second conveying rail in the conveying direction is further located than the region where the swirling flow generating means is provided. a region on both end sides and ejecting gas toward the object to be transported; the plurality of vortex flow generating means including: a plurality of first vortex flow generating means The distal end portion of said transfer object in the conveying direction, from reaching the second conveying track with the second and third side conveying track with a gap, in the second conveying track a first conveying surface corresponding to the rear end portion of the conveying target in the conveying direction, arranged in a direction crossing the conveying direction; and a plurality of second swirling flow generating means in the conveying direction When the rear end portion of the object to be conveyed reaches the gap between the first and second conveyance rails from the first conveyance rail side, the conveyance surface of the second conveyance rail and the aforementioned conveyance direction a second region corresponding to the tip end portion of the transport object, arranged in a direction crossing the transport direction; and a plurality of third vortex flow generating means for traversing the third region between the first and second regions The number of the directions in which the conveyance directions are arranged is smaller than the arrangement of the first and second swirl flow generation means.

In the present invention, when one of the two transport rails that are arranged in the transport direction is moved by the gap between the transport rails, when one end of the transport target is located in the gap, The object to be conveyed is deflected by its own weight, and the other end of the conveyance direction of the object to be transported has a force to move in a direction away from the conveyance surface (floating direction). However, the position of the conveying surface corresponding to the end of the other object to be conveyed is canceled by the negative pressure generated by the vortex flow generated by the vortex flow generating means, and the conveying direction of the object to be transported is the other. The ends will be pulled closer to the carrying surface. In this way, it is possible to prevent the conveyance target from being deflected by its own weight, and it is possible to prevent the end portion of the conveyance target in the conveyance direction from colliding with the end portion of the conveyance rail in the conveyance direction.

Further, in the present invention, the gas is ejected to generate a vortex flow, and the negative pressure is generated to bring the object to be transported to the transport surface of the transport rail. Therefore, the compressed gas discharge port and the vortex flow generating means can supply the gas together. The path and the pump, wherein the compressed gas discharge port is for discharging a gas that causes the object to be transported to float from the conveying surface, and the swirling flow generating means is for discharging the gas that pulls the end of the carrier closer to the conveying surface. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an air-floating transport technique capable of preventing the object to be transported from colliding with the transport rail even when the transport rails are arranged side by side in the transport direction to construct the air transport line. The object to be transported can be stably transported in a non-contact manner at a low cost.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

Fig. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a substrate transfer device 1 of the embodiment.

As shown in the figure, the substrate transfer device 1 of the present embodiment includes a rail 2 including a transport surface 20 for transporting a large-sized glass substrate used for a flat flat display such as a liquid crystal display or a plasma display in a non-contact manner. The substrate 5 (see FIG. 3) and the pump 3 supply compressed gas; and the tube 4 is connected to a compressed gas discharge port (not shown) of the pump 3 and an air supply port (not shown) of the rail 2.

Here, a ventilation path (not shown) connected to the air supply port is formed inside the rail 2, and a plurality of compressed gas discharge ports 22 are formed on the conveying surface 20 of the rail 2, and are connected to the ventilation path; The swirling flow generating portion 23 includes a swirling flow discharge port 26 which is connected to the air passage. (Refer to Figure 2). In FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 to be described later, only a part of the compressed gas discharge port 22 and a part of the swirl flow generation unit 23 are denoted by reference numerals for the sake of simplicity of illustration.

The compressed gas discharge port 22 is formed in a plurality of regions (compressed gas discharge regions) 29 on the side of the long sides 21a and 21b of the rail 2 on the conveying surface 20 of the rail 2, respectively. The compressed gas discharge ports 22 are respectively opened in the vertical direction of the conveyance surface 20, and the compressed gas a supplied to the air passage is discharged onto the conveyed surface 20 on the conveyance surface 20 (see FIGS. 4(A) and (B)). . As shown in FIG. 4 which will be described later, when the two rails 2 (2A, 2B) are arranged side by side with a predetermined gap d along the substrate conveyance direction A, the substrate 5 being conveyed passes through the swirl flow generation region 28 on the rail 2A. In the substrate transport direction A (long side of the track 2), the width of each compressed gas discharge region 29 is made smaller than the difference between the width H of the substrate 5 and the width of the gap d, so that the tip end of the substrate 5 is narrowed. The portion 51a or the rear end portion 51b spans the gap d.

On the other hand, the vortex flow generation unit 23 is formed in a plurality of regions (vortex flow generation regions) 28 which are compressed gases on the side of the both end portions 21a and 21b of the conveyance surface 20 of the rail 2 The discharge port area 29 is sandwiched. These vortex flow generating units 23 respectively swirl the compressed gas E supplied to the air passage to generate the swirl flow b (see FIG. 2(A), FIGS. 4(A) and (B)).

2(A) is an enlarged view showing a portion where the vortex flow generating portion 23 is formed on the conveying surface 20 of the rail 2, and FIG. 2(B) is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A of the swirling flow generating portion 23 shown in FIG. 2(A).

As shown in the figure, the vortex flow generating portion 23 has a cylindrical recess 24 formed on the conveying surface 20 of the rail 2, and a swirling flow outlet 26 formed in the inner peripheral surface 25 of the recess 24 and in the recess The compressed gas E is ejected in the tangential direction of the inner peripheral surface 25 of 24.

The vortex flow discharge port 26 is connected to the air passage, and the compressed gas E supplied from the pump 3 through the air passage is tangential to the inner peripheral surface 25 of the recess 24 from the swirl flow discharge port 26 inside the recess 24. The ink is ejected and swirled along the inner circumferential surface 25 of the concave portion 24. Thereby, the swirling flow b is formed. Further, on the inner peripheral surface 25 of the recessed portion 24, a push-out surface 27 is provided on the opening side so as to be caught in the swirling flow gas, and the transport surface 20 of the rail 2 and the transported substrate can be easily moved from the recessed portion 24 to the rail 2 Squirt between 5

Further, a vortex flow generating portion 23 that generates a right-handed swirling flow and a swirling flow generating portion 23 that generates a left-lateral swirling flow are dispersedly disposed in a region 28 on the conveying surface 20 of the rail 2. In this way, the moment generated by the vortex flow is counteracted, and the moment acts on the substrate 5 on which the transport surface 20 of the rail 2 is transported in a non-contact manner.

In the present embodiment, the concave portion 24 and the swirling flow ejection port 26 of the swirling flow generating portion 23 are directly formed on the conveying surface 20 of the rail 2, but a tip may be buried in the conveying surface of the rail 2. The vortex flow generating unit 23 has a cylindrical chamber and a nozzle formed to discharge a gas in a tangential direction in the inner circumferential direction of the cylindrical chamber.

FIG. 3 is a view for explaining an example of the substrate conveyance line 6 which is formed by stacking the rails 2 of the substrate transfer device 1 in the substrate conveyance direction A.

As shown in the figure, in general, the substrate transfer line 6 is to move the mating substrate The rails 2 of the 6-line length of the transport line are arranged side by side in the substrate transport direction A, and are arranged in a plurality of columns in accordance with the width h of the substrate 5. For example, due to the convenience of layout and the like, a gap d is provided between the end portions 21a and 21b of the adjacent rails 2 in the substrate conveyance direction A. Therefore, a discontinuous portion of the conveyance surface 20 of the rail 2 is generated on the substrate conveyance line 6, and the compressed gas cannot be ejected toward the substrate 5 at this position.

Further, as shown in the figure, at least a plurality of vortex flow generating portions 23 are formed at the end portion of the rear surface portion 51a of the substrate 5 being conveyed to the rear side in the substrate conveyance direction A of the conveyance surface 20 of the subsequent rail 2B (rear end portion) At the portion 21b, the position on the transport surface 20 of the track 2A corresponding to the rear end portion 51b of the substrate 5 (Fig. 4(A)); and the rear end portion 51b of the substrate 5 being conveyed reach the transport surface of the track 2A. When the end portion (front end portion) 21a of the front side of the substrate conveyance direction A of the substrate 5 is 20, the position on the conveyance surface 20 of the rail 2B corresponding to the front end portion 51a of the substrate 5 is obtained (Fig. 4(B)). Further, the compressed gas discharge port 22 is formed in a plurality of regions 29 on the conveying surface 20 in addition to the formation region 28 of the swirling flow generating portion 23.

4(A) and 4(B) are diagrams for explaining the case where the substrate 5 that is transported on the substrate conveyance line 6 in a non-contact manner from the conveyance surface 20 is floated.

As shown in FIG. 4(A), the substrate 5 is compressed by the compressed gas a discharged from the plurality of compressed gas discharge ports 22 formed on the conveying surface 20 of the rail 2A, and is floated from the conveying surface 20 of the rail 2A. The non-contact method is carried in the substrate transport direction A. Further, when the leading end portion 51a of the substrate 5 passes through the leading end portion 21a of the rail 2A and reaches the gap d between the leading end portion 21a of the rail 2A and the rear end portion 21b of the subsequent rail 2B, the substrate 5 itself The weight is deflected at the tip end portion 51a of the substrate 5, and attempts to fall to the gap d collides with the rail 2B. As a result, the rear end portion 51b of the substrate 5 is attempted to move in a direction (floating direction) away from the conveying surface 20 of the rail 2A. At this time, the plurality of vortex flow generating portions 23 are formed at a position on the transport surface 20 of the rail 2A facing the rear end portion 51b of the substrate 5, and the negative pressure P at the center portion of the swirl flow b generated by the The rear end portion 51b side of the substrate 5 is drawn closer to the conveying surface 20 of the rail 2A. As a result, the front end portion 51a side of the substrate 5 is lifted, so that the tip end portion 51a of the substrate 5 is prevented from falling due to its own weight, and the substrate 5 and the rail 2B can be prevented from colliding.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 4(B), when the rear end portion 51b of the substrate 5 passes the tip end portion 21a of the rail 2A and reaches the gap d between the tip end portion 21a of the rail 2A and the rear end portion 21b of the subsequent rail 2B, Due to the weight of the substrate 5 itself, deflection occurs on the side of the rear end portion 51b of the substrate 5, and it is attempted to fall to the gap d. As a result, the tip end portion 51a of the substrate 5 is attempted to move away from the conveying surface 20 of the subsequent rail 2B. At this time, the plurality of vortex flow generating portions 23 are formed at a position on the transport surface 20 of the rail 2B facing the tip end portion 51a of the substrate 5, and the negative pressure P at the center portion of the swirl flow b generated by the substrate The side of the leading end portion 51a of the 5 is drawn to the conveying surface 20 of the subsequent rail 2B. As a result, the rear end portion 51b side of the substrate 5 is lifted, so that the rear end portion 51b of the substrate 5 is prevented from falling due to its own weight, and the collision between the substrate 5 and the rail 2B can be avoided.

An embodiment of the present invention has been described above.

In the present embodiment, as shown in Figs. 4(A) and 4(B), the end portion (the tip end portion 51a or the rear end portion 51b) of the substrate 5 is pulled closer to the rail. In the conveyance surface 20 of the road 2, the other end portion (the rear end portion 51b or the tip end portion 51a) of the substrate 5 is lifted, so that the tip end portion 51a or the rear end portion of the substrate 5 being conveyed on the substrate conveyance line 6 can be prevented. 51b, the discontinuous portion (the gap d formed between the substrate conveyance direction A and the adjacent rail 2) on the conveyance surface 20 of the rail 2 on the substrate conveyance line 6 is dropped by its own weight, thereby avoiding collision with the rail 2B. Further, in the present embodiment, the compressed gas supplied from the pump 3 to the air passage in the rail 2 is ejected from the compressed gas discharge port 22 of the conveyance surface 20 of the rail 2 toward the substrate 5 on the conveyance surface 20 of the rail 2. Further, the swirling flow b is ejected from the swirling flow outlet 26 of the swirling flow generating portion 23 to form the swirling flow b, and the substrate 5 is pulled to the rail 2 by the negative pressure P generated in the central portion of the swirling flow b. The surface 20 is such that the compressed gas discharge port 22 and the swirl flow generating unit 23 can share the air passage (not shown) and the pump 3 in the rail 2. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, even if the substrate conveyance line 6 has the discontinuous portion of the conveyance surface 20 of the rail 2, the collision between the substrate 5 and the conveyance rail 2 can be prevented, whereby the substrate can be stably conveyed in a non-contact manner. 5. The cost of the substrate transfer device 1 can be suppressed.

In the present embodiment, the cylindrical recess 24 is provided on the transport surface 20 of the rail 2, and the swirling flow outlet 26 for the compressed gas E is ejected toward the tangential direction of the inner peripheral surface 25 of the recess 24. The swirling flow generating portion 23 is formed on the inner peripheral surface 25 of the recess portion 24. Therefore, the negative pressure P can be generated with a simple configuration, and the substrate 5 can be brought closer to the conveyance surface 20 of the rail 2.

Further, in the present embodiment, the vortex flow generating unit 23 that generates the right-handed swirling flow and the swirling flow generating unit 23 that generates the left-handed swirling flow are divided into points. Since it is scattered on the conveyance surface 20 of the rail 2, the moment generated by the vortex flow can be offset, and this moment acts on the conveyance surface 20 of the rail 2 on the substrate 5 which is conveyed in a non-contact manner. Therefore, the substrate 5 can be carried in a non-contact manner more stably.

Further, in the present embodiment, the vortex flow generating portion 23 is disposed such that when the tip end portion 51a of the substrate 5 reaches the vortex flow generating portion 23, the rear end portion 51b of the substrate 5 is positioned on the compressed gas discharge port 22. In this case, by the negative pressure P of the central portion of the swirling flow b, the leading end portion 51a of the substrate 5 is drawn to the carrying surface 20, and the compressed gas a is ejected from the ejection port 22, the substrate 5 The rear end portion 51b will attempt to move away from the conveying surface 20. However, even in this case, the gas e (refer to FIG. 4) that is entangled in the vortex flow in the vortex flow generating portion 23 flows out from the periphery of the concave portion 24 to between the substrate 5 and the conveying surface 20 of the rail 2. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the tip end portion 51a of the substrate 5 from being too close to be in contact with the conveying surface 20.

In the present embodiment, the substrate 5 such as a large-sized glass substrate used for a flat panel display such as a liquid crystal display or a plasma display is used as a transport target. However, the substrate 5 is not limited to a substrate, and any sheet-like conveyance that is easily deflected is used. It can be handled well.

1‧‧‧Substrate handling device

2‧‧‧ Track

3‧‧‧ pump

4‧‧‧ tube

5‧‧‧Substrate

6‧‧‧Substrate handling line

20‧‧‧Transport surface

21a‧‧‧The tip of the carrying surface

21b‧‧‧The rear end of the carrying surface

22‧‧‧Compressed gas outlet

23‧‧‧Vortex flow generation

24‧‧‧ recess

25‧‧‧ inner circumference of the recess

26‧‧‧Vortex flow outlet

27‧‧‧ pushed face

28‧‧‧Compressed gas ejection area

29‧‧‧Vortex flow generation area

51a‧‧‧The apex of the substrate

51b‧‧‧ back end of the substrate

Fig. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a substrate transfer device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

2(A) is an enlarged view showing a portion where the vortex flow generating portion 23 is formed on the conveying surface 20 of the rail 2, and FIG. 2(B) is a view showing FIG. 2(A). A-A cross-sectional view of the vortex flow generating portion 23.

[Fig. 3] Fig. 3 is a view for explaining an example of a substrate conveyance line 6 constructed by stacking a plurality of rails 2 of the substrate transfer device 1 along the substrate conveyance direction A.

4(A) and 4(B) are diagrams for explaining the case where the substrate 5 that is transported on the substrate conveyance line 6 in a non-contact manner from the conveyance surface 20 is floated.

2, 2A, 2B‧‧ track

5‧‧‧Substrate

6‧‧‧Substrate handling line

21a‧‧‧The tip of the carrying surface

21b‧‧‧The rear end of the carrying surface

22‧‧‧Compressed gas outlet

23‧‧‧Vortex flow generation

28‧‧‧Compressed gas ejection area

29‧‧‧Vortex flow generation area

51a‧‧‧The apex of the substrate

51b‧‧‧ back end of the substrate

Claims (3)

An air-floating transport device is an air-floating transport device that transports a transport surface on which a plurality of transport rails are arranged in a transport direction from a transport direction, and is transported in a non-contact manner in the transport direction. The plurality of transport rails include a first transport rail and a second transport rail that is located at a partition wall downstream of the first transport rail in the transport direction, and the second transport rail is located in the transport direction. a third transport rail for the partition wall measured downstream of the rail, the second transport rail having a plurality of vortex flow generating means provided on the transport surface of the second transport rail to eject a gas to generate a swirl flow. Thereby, a negative pressure is generated; and a plurality of gas discharge ports are formed on the conveyance surface of the second conveyance rail, and the second conveyance is further provided in the conveyance direction than the region in which the swirl flow generation means is provided. a region on both end sides of the rail, and ejecting gas toward the transport object; the plurality of vortex flow generating means including: a plurality of first vortex generators When the tip end portion of the object to be conveyed in the conveyance direction reaches the gap between the second and third conveyance rails from the second conveyance rail side, the conveyance surface of the second conveyance rail and the aforementioned a first region corresponding to a rear end portion of the object to be transported in the transport direction is arranged in a direction crossing the transport direction; and a plurality of second vortex flow generating means are disposed at a rear end of the transport target in the transport direction a part that reaches the aforementioned from the side of the first transport rail In the gap between the first and second transport rails, the second region corresponding to the tip end portion of the transport target in the transport direction of the second transport rail is in a direction crossing the transport direction And a plurality of third vortex flow generating means for arranging the first and second vortex flows in a third region between the first and second regions in a direction crossing the conveying direction The generation means is set with less configuration. The vortex flow generating device according to the first aspect of the invention, wherein the vortex flow generating means includes a cylindrical recess formed in the conveying surface, and a swirling flow outlet formed in an inner circumference of the recess The surface is ejected with gas toward the tangential direction of the inner peripheral surface of the recess. The air-floating device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the vortex flow generating means is provided with a plurality of vortex flow generating means for generating a swirl flow in a certain direction, and generating The swirling flow generation means in the reverse direction of the swirling flow that rotates in the opposite direction in the one direction is dispersed and dispersed.